Musiiwa took advantage of his uncle, Alick Malendele’s absence to torch the house resulting in the destruction of property worth about $1,000.

In his defence, Musiiwa said he set the house on fire because he had proved that his uncle was bewitching him using his goblins.

“I just wanted to destroy his goblins, which I did,” said Musiiwa showing no signs of remorse.

A sangoma is a traditional African healer and fortune-teller who conducts rituals, such a burning things. I don’t think houses are typically included in that list though. The magistrate didn’t buy the goblin part or the claim that it was his job as a sangoma to exorcise evil spirits. Glad to see that. It’s not disclosed what his “proof” of goblins was.

We sure have covered A LOT of these goblin stories over the years. The belief in goblins seems to be rather common in African countries, but particularly in Zimbabwe. They are always funny in a sad way. The western societies wouldn’t think of using such a silly-sounding excuse. Yet, are we so different blaming ghosts and demons. Superstition is all the same at its core. An excuse, a bad habit, irrational.